I like it with or without. I am torn so either way works.... and neither doesn't.

I think it helps tie in the red streak from that gorgeous granite very nicely!

I LOVE it!

I think you have a beautiful kitchen. I'd like to see pictures taken when there is sunlight coming through the windows. I suggest you trust your DH and enjoy it. It would be make me smile.

If you haven't done it over the windows yet I wouldn't. Leave it as a behind the range feature which looks nice. The green subway looks great with your granite.

I like the border a lot.

Looks great!

I don't want to say it because, as you've stated it's basically too late to change, but I don't like it. I agree that it ruins the vision of a clean, contemporary look. To me, it draws my eye up and around and distracts from the hood and RFG focal points. It's almost fussy or fun now, not clean. Sorry!

I don't like it either. It's the multicolor bit that feels wrong. If it were a couple of simple liners in the dark red and brown and tan, it would contribute to the linearity of the backsplash and whole kitchen. As it is, the little blocks of color are too busy and too much.

I, like blfenton, like it around the hood, but would not continue it over the window.

HTH, Petra

It certainly isn't undermining the look you were going for. My initial reaction was "I'm not sure I would have done that" which is exactly what I like about it. More I look at it the more I think the lovely glass subways needed a little hit of contrast behind the hood which the colour bands give them. A little black dress usually needs a little jewelry or a scarf you can go to far with a basic look and end up with something very devoid of personality or interest (with your great granite not a worry). Over the window - just not sure. - I don't think I would have done the bands by the hood and I think you made a much bolder and better decision - trust yourself.

I really like it and with the accents on the stove and any on the beautiful granite counter, I think it will be beautiful. I probably would not put by window and keep the pop of color at the stove. Beautiful kitchen!!

I'll second caryscott's thoughts and add that I"m not a big one for accent tiles.
It is hard to imagine the accent tiles over the window.
Without seeing the photos of your whole space,
it is hard to have an opinion.
But my sense is that you are best off only having the accent in the stove area.
Over the window isn't usually an accent area.
The glass subway tiles are beautiful with your granite.

I think it looks fantastic! It's not enough to detract from your vision of clean/contemporary. Leave it just over the hood. Any more would take away from your look but as is looks great.

When I saw your first photo (without the border) I thought, Wow that's a beautiful kitchen! Just the right amount of softness and organic (from the countertops) mixed with the clean-lined modern elements. Really handsome, really well-chosen components, a kitchen I'd love to be in.

And, like breezy, I hate to say it because I know how discouraging it can be to feel like you need to change stuff (my DH and I spent 2 days framing out porch and then at 4 pm yesterday realized it was wrong and had to tear the entire thing out! So I get it....)

But, yeah, for me the border does detract from look I think you were after. It's not bad or ugly, but it's definitely a more whimsical touch in an otherwise warmly elegant space.

Are you DIY-ing the tile? Do you have enough leftover field tile to be able to pop those bands out and replace with the plain ones? If it's just been done, the thinset should be pretty easy to scrape off still...

OK, I looked at the photos again.

Maybe if you just stop here - don't add any more accent tile- it could be OK.

I actually sort of like the one THIN line just below the hood. It's the thicker ones that take on that multi-colored trendy look and don't appeal to me, I think. Are those triple lines the same thickness as a row of field tile? Could they be replaced with plain tiles (and keep the one skinny line) without having to redo the entire wall? Even just getting rid of the top band might help. You could photoshop the images and see.

For me, I don't think I like the multicolored mosaics. Maybe if they were all one color say a shade or two darker than the field tile maybe that would look okay. I also don't care for that thin line just under the hood.

yeah, sorry. I also realized you would not be able to replace the wide row below the hood with field tile, because the offset pattern would be disrupted. So please disregard that! (Wish there was some way to edit one's GW posts!!)

You could eliminate the top row, though.

does not look like a 1940's diner....it looks good....the mosaics are fine, without them the backsplash would be too somber. You've done well.

Thank you for all your wonderful responses. This morning, in daylight, I know we made a big mistake. I think it's whimsical and pretty, but it is not the vision I had for my kitchen and I am feeling real bad. DH is agreeing with me now. We have 2 choices, I think. One is to take it all down, from the border on up and redo with 3x6 green. Or, it might be less expensive to just buy the green tiles in 1x1 and replace the 2 lower borders with 1x1 and the top with 3x6. Above the window will just be paint.
Has anyone pulled down tile before the grout? Will we hurt the cabinets where the tile butts up against them? We are not doing the work ourselves. We are paying a tile installer.
Thank you for your help.
Laura

If they were installed in the past few days and have not yet been grouted, it will not be difficult for the tiler to take them down again without damage to the cabinets, no worries.

Courage!

go with your gut - it looks great both ways but if you are unsure take them out.

I think you are brave to acknowledge and face what's proven to be the wrong decision for you. If your budget can handle it, I'd take them all out from the lowest colored tiles and redo in 3x6. Putting in green 1x1 will only serve to remind you of what happened, sort of like a scar.

It certainly is not terrible. But go with your gut. I pulled out an entire backsplash after grouting. It happens. You don't want to go into your kitchen and be upset.
Meanwhile, the green tiles look terrific.

Let's be honest...it all comes down to personal taste. I happen to think it looks amazing and I feel that when people walk in your kitchen, the first thing they will say is that they LOVE the tile accent.

Can you tell me about your pulls? I am looking for something just like that!

Enjoy your kitchen.

i do not like it, thinks it takes away from the beautiful slab and clean lines. i would remove it and continue tiling with the 3x6. cheaper to fix it now.

I agree with icannotwait, this all comes down to personal taste. As you can see, people are split between "I love it" and "Yes, it was a mistake." Personally, I like it, but probably not over the window. When you weigh my opinion though, keep in mind that what I did for myself is a torreon tumbled travertine, which, I suspect, is not something you'd ever prefer.

For you, I think you'll be happier if you fix this now. Yeah, you're over budget, but this is a bigger deal not easily fixable later, which is relatively easy to fix now. Unless it's a choice between leaving it and not being able to pay the utility bill, I suggest taking a big breath and just doing it.

P.S. My husband really likes it too. He also admires the skill of your tilers - very well done.

Looking at it again, I'd recommend taking out the line by the ceiling and possibly removing the yellow tiles in the band and replacing them with the other colors. There is no yellow anywhere else and that is what keeps it from being perfect.
Since you will have extra tiles from the top row, you should only have to pay for a little extra labor and possibly buying more field tiles for that row if you cut it close.

Personally, I like it a lot. But probably not over the sink. staceyneil's mockups only reinforce my opinion. That first mockup shows how plain the space is without the accents. However, the second mockup is a good option that can be done cheaply since you'd only need to rip out the top row. That option is nice because it doesn't draw you're eye all the way to the ceiling like it does today. That's probably what I'd do, but in the end it really only matters what you and your husband like.

sixtyohno -- someone above wrote exactly the words I was thinking: You are brave to recognize this is something you don't like and to say "stop." I think so many of us get caught up in the locomotion that we don't or feel we can't listen to the niggling voice of hesitation / displeasure.

I also agree with linelle that if you replace the accent tiles it could always serve as a visual reminder of "mistake." Is it that you really want an accent band or is it that you're trying to figure out how to minimize the retiling?

I don't know your answer. I know what I think I see in your kitchen and what I've inferred from your posts, and that would be continuous 3x6 tiles, no accent shapes / bands. But that's merely my interpretation.

I wish you the best of luck!

Well, I agree that it is a matter of taste. If YOU don't like it, it is better to take it down now than wait and have it be harder and more of an ordeal. Personally, it doesn't bother me. I wouldn't do it in my kitchen most likely, but it's not offensive in any way. But again, my opinion does not matter. Only you and your husband's.

By the way, what are those egg looking like things on the windowsill behind your sink?

I agree with babushka_cat. The accent tiles do take something away from the simple clean lines of the cabinets and I also think they compete with your beautiful granite rather than compliment it. Your granite is the star in the kitchen and the lovely slab cabinets and the 3x6 tiles you chose showcase the granite perfectly.

I think the mosaic mix is the problem. I would replace it with a 1x1 tile (maybe with some BLING!!) the same shade (or maybe a little darker) than your green glass tile. This would be easier than removing the whole BS. And I agree, to just the area you have done now.

BTW, LOVE your green glass tile and it goes fabulously with your granite!!

jody

Good luck! I like the mosaics there but not the color. I think if you keep it, go with greens that coordinate with the tiles you already have. But if you go with all the subways, it will still be beautiful.

I'm so sorry you're going through this. I should have mentioned that last night when I first commented. I agree with Linelle that you shouldn't replace the accent tiles with other colors but just take them all out. At least that's my take on it. I adore the green subs you've chosen to compliment your showstopping stone, and I don't like a "pop" of color in the backsplash that will always read like a red horizontal line relating to nothing when viewed across the room.

Taking a deep breath and changing it now so you'll be happy every time you walk in the kitchen is brave. Yes, it sucks to repay to have it done, but it isn't a large area and shouldn't be difficult to do at this point. Just think about how amazing it's going to look when it's done and grouted. You're creating a wonderful space!

Thank you all for your thoughtful and helpful comments. We are still vacillating. The bands definitely can not stay as is and they will not go anywhere else. Dianalo suggested covering the yellow. So I did. Photo below. It's definitely an improvement, but we still have to decide if the bands go altogether.
Jenhp-the eggs on the windowsill are egg shells, washed, dipped in waterbased poly and epoxied to slate or flat rocks. I don't expect them to last forever. These are from 2 summers ago. Just fun and they make good gifts.
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

Your mock-up looks better without the red, but still misses the mark, IMHO, from the look you have been so strongly pursuing to this point. Love the eggs!

I like it better without the accent lines at all. But either way, just listen to your gut-- that little nagging feeling probably won't go away, so while you are pre-grout, take the time to make it what will make you happy.

I think its got to go. I spent the day rationalizing how to keep it, but now I know that I really don't want it. DH is worried that taking down the tiles will hurt the cabinets that the tiles butt up against, but it's just thinset, not grout. I'm sure people make mistakes and tiles come down. We have just enough tile left to redo the wall. I was going to tile over the window and door to the living room, but we are so over budget at this point, that it's just not necessary to do more than the redo.
In the demolition we found a slow leaking water pipe in the wall. The water rotted out 2 2x4s and the floor plate. It was a big expensive repair that included removing siding etc. That and an electrical problem and just some low estimations, put us way over. That's another reason I was trying to rationalize keeping the tile. But that's allover now. I need to be true to myself. I can cut back this winter and recoup the extra money. I want the kitchen that I planned and worked for, not a spur of the moment giving in to the taste of the tile guy.
Thanks again to GW for helping me get through this. My dad would say, "this should be the worse thing that ever happens to you."

Happy to hear you have a plan to move forward. Is there anyway you could tile over the window and door in the future if you decide you still want to once you've recovered from the reno hit? It doesn't look like you'd need a whole lot more tile and labor to do it.

OK. I just went back and looked at your photos above. It's hard to see the door you wanted to tile above, but from what I can see maybe you don't need tile there anyway??

Good for you - you made a decision and you're comfortable with it. Two years from now you're going to look at that wall and say, "I'm glad I decided to correct the problem as soon as it was made."

Sorry to hear that you're going though this sixtyohno. Personally, I'm ambivalent on your tile as it stands - I like it though I can certainly understand where others wouldn't.

Just wanted to add that we pulled down an entire section of backsplash on our sink wall (post-grout) because we didn't feel 100% confident in our choice. It was an expense, and a pain in the butt at the time, however now a year later I know it would have driven me insane every time I saw the old backsplash there. Go with your gut and you'll have no regrets.

I am glad you are going to take it down. It looked nice, but was too distracting. The solid color backsplash will have a much more calming effect and the granite can be the star. Cant wait to see the finished kitchen!

This is a great learning experience for those doing a backsplash. Do a mock up before you make anything permanent.

GW needs a backsplash forum. The backsplash can make or break a kitchen!

Here we go again. It's coming down, DEFINITELY. DH has fallen in love with the colored 1x1 tiles. The painter was here today and the first thing he said was-"how gorgeous. It makes the kitchen." My friend was here and loved the little glass gems, but the more I look at them, the more I know they have to go.
So the compromise with DH, is to replace the 1x1 glass multicolored gems with 1x1 green glass that match the subways. I'm fine with that and so is he. (that's how we have stayed married for 46 years.) I ordered the 1x1 greens and once the repair and grouting is done, we will be finished! (the kitchen, not the marriage)
Laura

sixty, your granite is so gorgeous, and love the square edge with it.

I like the compromise you've made. A DH's feelings are more important than design. Anyway, I think your solution will look lovely, understated elegance, and rather than a scar maybe it can remind you of how a successful marriage is kept together. Still, having said that, maybe you should tape them in there to make sure, before having them grouted?